Turkish Süper Lig champions Galatasaray have identified one Aston Villa star as a top summer target with a bid prepared and talks scheduled, according to reports.

Aston Villa closing in on Champions League spot for 26/27

It could yet be the greatest season in Villa's modern history.

Unai Emery's side sit fifth in the Premier League on 59 points with two games to play, and a win over Liverpool at Villa Park on Friday night would guarantee Champions League qualification.

Seven days later, they will walk out in Istanbul for the Europa League final against Freiburg — their first appearance in a major European showpiece since they lifted the European Cup in 1982.

The scale of what Villa have achieved this season is remarkable.

A stunning 4-0 second-leg demolition of Nottingham Forest overturned a 1-0 deficit to book their place in the final, and the prospect of Emery — already a four-time Europa League winner — adding a fifth to his collection has the club's supporters daring to dream.

Win the trophy, and Champions League football is guaranteed regardless of what happens in the league.

The stakes could not be higher.

But while the focus on the pitch is firmly on those two defining fixtures, the noise around the squad's future is already building, and one player in particular is attracting attention from overseas.

Galatasaray prioritising deal for Aston Villa star Emiliano Buendia

According to website Turkish Football, Galatasaray have placed Emiliano Buendia at the top of their summer shortlist as they look to fill a creative number ten role for next season.

The Turkish heavyweights have been tracking the Argentine's situation at Villa Park closely, and head coach Okan Buruk is said to view the 29-year-old as the ideal candidate to provide the decisive final pass for the club's attacking line.

Galatasaray are reportedly preparing an initial approach involving a loan deal with an option to buy, hoping to use the lure of a central role in a title-chasing side to convince Buendia to make the move to Istanbul.

Official talks with Villa are expected to follow in the coming weeks.

It has been a complicated few years for the former Norwich City playmaker.

A serious ACL injury in August 2023 wiped out the entire 2023/24 season, and although he returned to fitness the following campaign, Villa opted to send him on loan to Bayer Leverkusen in January 2025 as part of a squad reshuffle.

He scored twice in 14 appearances for the Bundesliga club before returning to Birmingham this summer.

This season has been a much more encouraging chapter.

Buendia has contributed six goals and two assists in the Premier League across 1,568 minutes, becoming a vital player for Emery and showcasing the talent that made him one of the Championship's standout players during his time at Carrow Road.

His contract at Villa runs until June 2027, which gives the club a reasonable negotiating position — but also means this summer represents a key moment in deciding whether he has a long-term future under Emery.

Villa's valuation remains the primary obstacle.

The club paid around £33m to sign Buendia from Norwich in 2021, so whether Galatasaray's loan-to-buy structure would satisfy Villa's expectations is unclear, especially for a now-key member of the team.

For Buendia, the question is straightforward: stay and fight for a place in a squad competing at the highest level, or seek regular football and a starring role elsewhere.

Galatasaray can offer both platform and prestige, but whether Villa are willing to let him go is another matter entirely.